ARTICLE I: OBJECTIVE A.

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1 Psychology Graduate Program Bylaws Administrative Home: Department of Psychology Revised: May 2006; September 2009 Graduate Council s Approval Date: November 2, 2009 ARTICLE I: OBJECTIVE A. Degrees Offered The Graduate Program in Psychology (hereafter referred to as the Program) offers a Ph.D. degree. Although students in the program have the option of obtaining an M.A. degree en route to the Ph.D., students are admitted to the graduate program only if they plan to obtain a Ph.D. degree. B. Discipline The Program encompasses the broad field of psychology and its interactions with related disciplines. Resources and faculty are concentrated in five areas: Psychobiology, Developmental Psychology, Social & Personality Psychology, Quantitative Psychology, and Perception, Cognition & Cognitive Neuroscience. Each member of the Program is affiliated with one or more of these Areas. B. Mission of the Program The Program is organized primarily to foster and administer graduate teaching and research leading to the Ph.D. in Psychology, in conformity with the policies and procedures of the Graduate Council and the Office of Graduate Studies of the Davis campus of the University of California. The Program also fosters collaborative psychology-related research activities, promotes interactions among researchers in psychology and related disciplines, sponsors intellectual interchanges between local researchers and members of the international scientific community, and represents the interests of psychology researchers collectively to the University administration and other internal and external groups.

2 ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP A. Criteria for Membership in the Program The Program faculty shall consist of the ladder faculty of the Department of Psychology and the adjunct faculty of the Department of Psychology (hereafter conjointly referred to as the Psychology Faculty). The Program faculty shall also consist of UC Davis faculty who meet the following criteria: (1) Hold an appropriate academic title as (a) a member of the Academic Senate, (b) Adjunct Professor, (c) Lecturer (without Security of Employment) or (d) Lecturer Without Salary. Academic staff with primary appointments as Cooperative Extension Specialists or in the Professional Research series are not eligible to be members unless they also hold an appropriate instructional title (normally Lecturer Without Salary). (2) Be qualified to serve as primary research supervisor for candidates for the Ph.D. degree in Psychology, with an active, substantial, and independent program of research in Psychology or a related area. (3) Be approved by a majority vote of the current Program faculty. Voting Rights: All members of the Program Faculty will be eligible to vote on graduate student admissions decisions, changes in graduate program requirements, changes in bylaws, student committee composition, and any other matters pertaining to education and training in the Program. However, elected members will not have voting rights regarding other Psychology Department matters, such as department personnel actions, department budget decisions, or undergraduate program matters. B. Application for Membership All ladder and adjunct members of the Department of Psychology are automatically members and need not apply. Other faculty who wish to join the Program may self-nominate or be nominated by an existing member of the Program. Members are expected to serve willingly in the administration of the Program and on committees for the Program. The applicant must also agree to participate actively in Program activities directed toward graduate education and training (see II.D for specifics). 2

3 Nominees will submit a cover letter and CV to the Graduate Adviser. These materials will be reviewed by the Executive Committee and by the faculty of the relevant Area of the Program, along with additional materials as determined to be necessary (e.g., the nominee may be asked to give a research presentation to the Area). If the Executive Committee and Area faculty find that the nominee meets the requirements set forth in Article II.A, the nominee s materials and a brief summary by the relevant Area Head will be provided to the full Program Faculty, who will then vote on membership. The final decision will be based on a majority of those voting. Election to the Program Faculty is for a period of three years. Membership will terminate automatically at the end of the three year period unless the member requests an extension. The term may be extended for three more years by a vote of the Program Faculty based on the procedure described in II.D below. If a member s faculty appointment at Davis ends before the term of membership expires, membership will terminate automatically. C. Emeritus Status Emeritus faculty members may become members of the Program Faculty by a majority vote of the current Program faculty, but they are not members automatically by virtue of having been members before retirement. Emeritus faculty members hold all the rights and responsibilities of any other members of the Program Faculty. D. Review of Membership Membership for elected members must be renewed every three years, with onethird of the elected members reviewed each year. The Graduate Adviser or appointed staff member shall initiate this review by sending, during the Fall Quarter, a questionnaire to each member scheduled for review. The response to this questionnaire will be reviewed by the Executive Committee and the Program Faculty, who will then decide on the basis of a majority vote whether to extend membership for another threeyear term. Continued membership in the Graduate Faculty will be based on active participation in the Program, to be judged based on the following kinds of activities: 3

4 (1) Taking an active role in administering the Program by serving on an administrative committee, as Graduate Adviser, or as an administrative officer of the Program. (2) Providing graduate-level instruction in psychology or closely related fields. (3) Serving on individual advising committees, qualifying examination committees, and dissertation committees of students in the Program. A faculty member will be considered to have resigned from the Program under the following circumstances: (1) A written letter of resignation is sent to the Chair of the Program. (2) Resignation from the faculty of the University. (3) Failure to return two consecutive questionnaires sent within one year while the member is in residence. E. Membership Appeal Process Denial of membership may be appealed in writing to the Chair of the Program. The appeal will be discussed in a meeting of the Executive Committee and then in a meeting of the Program Faculty. The individual may attend a portion of these meetings if this is agreeable to all parties. The final decision will be based on a majority vote of the Program Faculty. Individuals who are denied membership or renewal of membership may make a final appeal to the Dean of Graduate Studies. ARTICLE III: ADMINISTRATION The administration of the Program and its activities will be vested in an Executive Committee, chaired by the Program Chair. 4

5 ARTICLE IV: GRADUATE PROGRAM CHAIR A. Chair Appointment Process The Chair of the Psychology Department shall serve as Chair of the Program. B. Duties of the Chair The Chair shall be the chief officer and spokesperson for the Program and for the Executive Committee. The Chair shall call and preside over meetings of these bodies, shall appoint standing committees and ad hoc committees, and shall serve as liaison between the Program and other groups within and outside the University. The Chair is responsible for developing and implementing policies for the program, coordinating all administrative matters with the Office of Graduate Studies, managing the budgets of the program, coordinating the program s graduate course teaching assignments with the relevant department chairs, and nominating graduate advisers for appointment. The Chair may delegate the day-to-day responsibilities to the Graduate Adviser. However, even with the delegation of day-to-day responsibilities, the Chair is the official, graduate program Chair. ARTICLE V COMMITTEES A. Executive Committee The Executive Committee shall consist of the Psychology Department s Area Heads, the Graduate Adviser, and the Program Chair (who serves as Chair of the Executive Committee). The Executive Committee will oversee the operation of the Program and make advisory statements to the Program Faculty regarding membership applications and renewals. B. Graduate Curriculum Committee The Graduate Curriculum Committee shall consist of three Program Faculty appointed by the Department Chair and a student representative selected by the department s graduate student organization. The student will be a non-voting member of 5

6 the committee. Committee members generally serve for one year, but may be reappointed, with their consent, by the Program Chair. The function of the Graduate Curriculum Committee will be to advise the Program Chair, Graduate Adviser, and Program Faculty concerning matters of curriculum and requirements for the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. Changes in the M.A. and Ph.D. requirements must be approved at a general meeting of the Program Faculty and by Graduate Council. C. Admissions/Fellowships Committee The Admissions/Fellowships Committee shall consist of the Area Heads, who are elected by faculty members in their Areas, along with the Graduate Adviser, who will chair the committee. Area Heads are elected for three-year terms by faculty members in their Areas; an Area Head who is reelected for an additional term would automatically continue to serve on the Admissions/Fellowships Committee. Recommendations for graduate student admissions shall be made by the appropriate Area Head, with input from the students and faculty in the Area. These recommendations will be reviewed within each Area and then subjected to a vote of the Program Faculty. Recommendations for new and continuing student fellowships are also made by this committee, with the assistance of the faculty within each Area. ARTICLE VI: STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES The Department Chair, upon recommendation of the Program s graduate student organization, appoints student representatives to the curriculum committee. Student members of committees do not have voting rights. The student members will be invited to attend the annual meeting of the program, when the agenda includes items relevant to the committees for which they serve as student representatives. The chair of any committee with student members and the program chair or graduate advisor for the annual meeting must excuse the student representatives from meetings during discussions of other students, personnel actions or disciplinary issues relating to faculty, during rankings of existing students for funding, and for disciplinary issues related to students. 6

7 ARTICLE VII: GRADUATE ADVISER A Graduate Adviser, who must be a member of the Graduate Faculty, will be recommended for appointment by the Program Chair in compliance with the policies and procedures of the Graduate Council and the Office of Graduate Studies. The faculty member who is serving as Graduate Adviser works closely with the staff person in charge of graduate matters, who is also likely to hold the job for a long period and be familiar with applicable rules and policies. Individual student advising is primarily accomplished by an Individual Advising Committee (IAC), composed of three members of the Graduate Program. The Chair of each student s IAC is the student s primary mentor and will supervise most of his or her research progress. The IAC, in annual meetings and regular individual contact, keeps track of the progress of the student and provides advice on how the student may best complete the requirements of the Program. Each student s IAC is created in consultation with the Graduate Adviser. The Graduate Adviser must approve the IAC composition including any changes to membership due, for example, to a faculty member leaving the University or a change in the student s direction of work. Each IAC reports to the Graduate Adviser, who as a member of the Executive Committee, reports student progress, problems, etc. to that group. The Graduate Adviser s function will also include approval of preliminary and qualifying examination committees; preparation of recommendations for Teaching Assistant employment and class assignments; advising of graduate students on their academic programs; determination that each student meets the Program s academic requirements; and approval of student petitions for exceptions to the Program s requirements. The Graduate Adviser will serve on the Executive Committee and will serve as Chair of the Admissions/Fellowships Committee. ARTICLE VIII: MEETINGS Meetings will be held regularly in conjunction with faculty meetings of the Department of Psychology. Any member of the graduate program can request that a meeting be scheduled by contacting the chair, who will then poll program members to see if they agree with the request. If five or more members agree, a meeting will be 7

8 scheduled. In addition, a meeting solely devoted to the Program will be held each Spring Quarter, and all Program Faculty members in residence will be expected to attend this meeting. Notice of meetings will be distributed to all Graduate Faculty at least two days prior to the meeting, and agenda items must be solicited. Minutes of meetings shall be made available to the Program Faculty within ten days following the meeting. If a Program Faculty member is unable to attend a scheduled meeting, he or she may submit comments about the agenda to the chair prior to the meeting. The chair will communicate these comments to the Program Faculty in attendance at the meeting. ARTICLE IX: QUORUM A quorum for the purpose of modifying bylaws or establishing Program policy must be greater than 50% of Program faculty members who are eligible to vote, exclusive of those on leave. Passage of proposals will require a minimum of more than 50% of the members who actually vote. Balloting may be done either in a meeting of the Program Faculty or via an electronic voting system. ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS Any proposals for amendments of these bylaws will be circulated to the Program Faculty via and discussed in a meeting of the Program Faculty. Approval requires the standard quorum as defined in Article IX and a two-thirds majority of those voting in an electronic ballot. At least one week shall pass between distribution of a proposal and the commencement of voting. All amendments and revisions must be submitted to Graduate Council for review and approval. 8